Keephills 3

TransAlta's Keephills 3 power project is a proposed 450-megawatt coal-fired generating plant that will be located adjacent to the existing Keephills power plant. The company reports that the Keephills 3 plant "is an important step in ensuring Alberta’s future power needs are met with a reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible source of electricity. It will also be Canada’s most advanced coal-fired facility."

TransAlta and Capital Power (formerly EPCOR) will be equal partners in the ownership of Keephills 3, with Capital Power responsible for construction. Once completed, TransAlta will operate the facility but Capital Power market their 50 percent share in the plant.

Keephills 3 will use supercritical boiler technology. TransAlta states that "Because less fuel is used to produce the same amount of power, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per MW are lower than a conventional coal plant. Relative to the four Wabamun units being fully retired by TransAlta by 2010, the new plant will emit approximately 60 to 80 per cent less sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), mercury (Hg) and 24 per cent less CO2 while producing the same amount of power."

Construction on the plant began in February 2007 and is expected to be completed in 2011. The capital cost of the project is projected to be approximately $1.6 billion.

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